Consider the following statements regarding Indian Feudalism in the early medieval period: [CDS 2014 (I)] 1. The revenue assignments were called Bhoga. 2. The hereditary chiefs neither collected revenues nor assumed administrative powers. Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?
A. Only 1
B. Only 2
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: Only 1
Option a is the correct answer.
Statement 1 is correct: Bhoga was a term used to denote the revenue assignments given to various officials, priests, temples, and monasteries by the kings or feudal lords. The bhoga grantees enjoyed the right to collect and retain the revenues from the assigned lands, but they did not have the right to alienate or transfer them
Statement 2 is incorrect: The hereditary chiefs or samantas were feudal lords who held lands from the kings or higher feudal lords in exchange for loyalty and military service. The samantas collected revenues from their lands and assumed administrative powers over their territories. They also maintained their own armies and fortifications.